Corrosion
by Polarbaroness
Summary: Sakura-centric. Sakura gets horribly injured on a mission, activating her Byakugou with unforeseen consequences. No romance planned.
1. Prologue

Hey, so I'm trying my hand at a new story. Hopefully it's OK. I'll be editing formatting soon, just had to get this down before my trip to the mountains.

* * *

Time lost all meaning. Agony was the only thing that existed. Her own, self contained universe- constantly destroyed and rebuilt within mere seconds. As a medic, she knew that third degree burns- which is what she would have, if she were normal- were painless, as they burnt away the nerve endings. She, however, did not have that small mercy- the seal, released prematurely, healed her as fast as the acid ate away at her skin.

Her body bumped against something hard; though she could not see it, she knew instinctively it was real and therefore good. Survival surpassed pain for one instant- clearing her mind to one objective: escape the source of the pain. She scratched and scrabbled for a hold against the surface, refusing to sink back to the bottom despite her constantly disintegrating limbs. Slowly she began to move, dragging her body through the viscous acid to what she could only hope was a reprieve.

One hand broke the surface, instigating a frenzy. Her struggling grew more intense with this new sensation- air, an almost forgotten balm to her decaying skin. Another hand followed the first one, fully reformed and clawing into the earth below it like an anchor. It slowly lifted, securing a spot further away and pulling with it her body. One leg moved agonizingly slowly through her prison, finding its hold against the corroded dirt. Inch by inch, minute by minute she ascended until her head broke through followed quickly by her torso and, finally, her legs.

She was exposed to an entirely new level of agony as her body attempted to expel the deadly ooze filling her lungs. Cough after cough wracked her body, each one bringing up less and less acid until finally none remained. Each breath she took was stronger than the last, her body quickly repairing the damage left behind.

She lay there, unable and unwilling to move in case she fell in again. The viscous liquid covering her body was slow to recede, moving as if reluctant to return to the greater mass. Without a constant amount of it engulfing her it was unable to burn deeper than her skin before the damage was repaired. Unable to remove the substance, she resigned herself to waiting.

Fueled by endorphins she rose unsteadily, staggering away from what was to be her permanent resting place. Direction did not matter, disoriented as she was- she could barely open her eyes, much less remember which way was home.

Each step tracked along with it acid, searing footprints into the grass. By now her muscles had rebuilt, strengthening her stride. Rational thought slowly returned to her, and she knew she would have to remove this acid from her skin somehow. She knew also, however, that contaminating the water with this acid would create problems of an unknown severity, and so decided on rubbing her skin with dirt. First to be cleaned were her hands, clumps of dirt falling onto the barren ground. Vaguely she noted the chill of night, her fingers tingling slightly in response to the cold even as she scrubbed furiously at her skin.

Something felt different about its texture, but she would leave that for later examination. Currently, the things she needed most were shelter and warmth, not to be distracted by vanity. She resumed her trek, slowly becoming accustomed to walking again. Memories of survival exercises returned to her- judging by the plethora of rocks biting at her feet, she was at the base of a mountain. The sparsity of grass surrounding her indicated it was the leeward side, drier and with less trees for shelter. It was likely she would have to dig a shelter herself.

The wind blew bitterly against her skin and she shuddered, knowing set up would need to be soon. Using her chakra enhanced limbs would simply create a crater, which would not suit her purposes. She stopped, feeling around for a rock large enough to dig away at the earth efficiently. Finally selecting one suitable enough she got to work, digging up a decent patch of grass to act as an insulator. In the spot where the grass was she dug deeper, creating an indent deep enough to sleep in. She carved a lip into the edges of the hole, creating an area to place the grass back on and pack it with dirt so it didn't cave in. While the impromptu shelter did sag ever so slightly it was warmer than the outside air, and she crawled into it gratefully, succumbing to sleep.


	2. Reveal

Here we go.

* * *

Loss was the norm for a shinobi.

Friends, family, teammates, teachers could be gone in the blink of an eye.

Classes aimed at children taught the grim acceptance of death as an inevitability - how to suppress kneejerk emotions, stay strong, grieve later.

Later, they would learn how to take a life in the name of their village. A necessary evil, they claimed.

No one- save the true sociopaths who rejoiced in death- ever truly got over the initial pain of watching the death of a comrade.

He often thought of the implications of his actions. How many enemy shinobi had he killed, pulling apart a family? How many lives had he taken with the death of one?

Perhaps these thoughts weren't conducive to the life he chose, perhaps they would drive him to an early grave, but perhaps they were the only thing maintaining his sanity.

A crunch pulled him from these thoughts. With a quick scan of his surroundings, he determined it was one of the many fauna occupying the forest.

Before returning to his musing, the shinobi examined his teammates. Heads lowered slightly, a tension in the shoulders, the oppressive air surrounding the group- they were all mourning in the shinobi way.

Normally, for a completed mission, hearts were light and chatter prevalent. No matter how battered or tired, every shinobi felt relief and an eagerness for home. Steps were long and swift, sure and steady.

The trek back almost felt like a mission failed. Feet dragged through the thick mud, heavy with grief and apprehension.

As the second in command, it was his job to report to the Kage. After this report, if any teammates did not return it was his duty to inform the family. If they had no family, their friends. If they had no friends, he would organise the funeral.

His leader's family were civilian. They were the worst to report to- so unpredictable in their actions, liable to attack. The hardest part was subduing them without injury.

As for the Kage….. he dreaded telling her with every fiber of his being. The team leader had been her student, a precious person. He would have to watch as her face became stoic, tears forbidden from falling. Later that night, he knew what would occur- an unhealthy drinking binge, followed by the destruction of a training ground.

The funeral would be held, and her name etched into the stone alongside all the others. No remains to bury, no mementos to present.

The Konoha gate was within sight. He abruptly slipped into leader mode, shoulders straightening and head raising. The guards at the gate waved briefly, before noting the absence of one ninja and becoming serious.

Time seemed to move faster from then- a quiet inspection of their identification, a quick debriefing, and then the trek to the Hokage tower.

They were ushered into the office by an ANBU wearing a cat mask. Tsunade looked up, haggard and in want of some good news. Her eyes hardened at the sight of not her student, but her second in command.

"Tsunade-sama. The mission has been completed. Containment was successful. However…" he took a deep breath, steeling himself before delivering the news.

" Haruno Sakura, Konoha chunin, medic nin and apprentice to…." His eyes closed, and he switched his speech hurriedly."…sacrificed herself to ensure mission success. With her death secured the life of hundreds of others. Nothing was recovered. "

There was a moment of silence, thick and heavy in the stately room. Tsunade closed her eyes tightly, and nodded. "Her sacrifice will be remembered. Please complete your mission reports within the week. You and your team will be given that time to grieve. Thank you for your service." She paused to gather her thoughts before continuing. "As Sakura is...was my apprentice, I will take the duty of informing her loved ones."

She dismissed him with a nod, and, after a deep bow, he turned and walked out. The doors shut behind him with a click, and he mused on the events of that day.

Life would return to normal, for him at least. He would receive missions, maintain his gear, and return to his small flat to sleep. Perhaps he would undergo an evaluation, therapy. In time, the memory of her death would fade to the back of his mind.

Her name would become just another scar, forgotten to most of the village in a few months.

The village couldn't stop for the death of one member. There were defenses to plan, enemies to kill, genin to train.

Her existence would be reduced to a few stories and a name etched on a stone. Not for the first time, he wondered if the life he lived was worth the inherent danger and loss.

* * *

As the doors shut, Tsunade allowed herself a moment of weakness. She rubbed her face with calloused hands, hands that had saved and killed. The blood of innocents and the guilty alike lived in the cracks of her palms, the most recent tenant her own apprentice. Sakura.

Seemingly the weakest link on her team- a position hard to overcome living in the shadows of raw potential. She, like Lee, was a master of hard work- her immaculate chakra control allowed her to exceed the expectations of everyone watching. People whispered of her being a mini - Tsunade, a title which both amused and frustrated them both. She was Tsunade's student, sure, but her achievements were all her own.

She had worked tirelessly, and to great effect. The ground split under her feet, lives held in the palm of her hands… For this reason Tsunade had sent her on this mission. Perhaps it was overconfidence on her end, and for this reason the loss hurt worse. A tear rolled down the creases of her face, hidden by her constant genjutsu.

She quickly wiped it away and straightened, calling the ANBU back to her office. "Go get Hatake Kakashi. Tell him it's about his former pupil, and it's urgent. "

* * *

Hatake Kakashi, despite his aloof demeanour, was an excellent ninja. The death of his teammates had simply taught him to slow down and enjoy life - after all, it was so fleeting in their line of work.

He had the usual tasks to accomplish- paperwork to do, meetings to attend, Gai to torment- but on such a beautiful day, who could blame him for stopping for a bit of ramen?

As he lifted the chopsticks to his face, preparing a noteworthy distraction so he could eat it in peace, his sensitive ears caught the slight "poof" of air displacing. He wasn't surprised they had found him- it wasn't like he was being sneaky- and if he wanted to escape, he could have done so quickly. A gut feeling prompted him to stay, and he had always trusted his instincts.

"Ah, ANBU-san. Come for some lunch?" He asked, turning to face the ANBU who had pushed the curtains to the side. The ANBU operative seemed even more tense than was usual for their job, and inwardly he noted it wasn't a message to brush off.

"I'm afraid not, Hatake-san, there is no time. Tsunade-sama requires your presence at the Hokage tower regarding one of your former pupils. "

Kakashi tensed subtly, placing his chopsticks on the hardwood counter. No matter how aloof he seemed, he was truly fond of his cute little genin, and a flicker of worry passed through him. "If you'll excuse me, then, I'll be on my way." He disappeared in his characteristic puff of smoke, leaving the ANBU coughing behind him.

The ANBU turned to leave, eager to get back to their small apartment, when they were stopped mid-step by a small cough. "ANBU-san, Hatake-san did not pay for his food..Under normal circumstances I would simply add it to his tab, but said tab has been maxed out."

The ANBU sighed, digging in their pockets for a sufficient payment. Wordlessly they placed it on the counter, vanishing with a handsign. If it was included in the report, it could be passed off as a mission expense- this thought kept them from planning retaliation against the copy-nin.

* * *

No one used the doors. Why would they, with a perfectly good access point cut into the Hokage's office? Of course, the Kage didn't appreciate it as much as they did. Normally climbing in the window would result in fists,tables and sake bottles flying at the perpetrator, along with threats of dismemberment. The lack of any of these indicated just how serious this meeting was.

Kakashi entered her office and closed the window behind him with a soft thud. "Kakashi. I've told you a thousand times not to come in through the window. That's what doors are for. " She sounded tired, more so than usual. He examined the office discreetly. Empty sake bottles littered the floor, along with mission papers and shards of ceramic. She was getting drunk in the middle of the day. Shizune wasn't there to dispose of the sake as she normally was.

This could have indicated illness, if he hadn't seen her walking her pig the day before. As she wasn't on a mission, he assumed she was simply giving Tsunade some space. Tsunade wasn't angry, he thought as he examined her. Not enough things broken. This ruled out Naruto as a factor. Sasuke would have resulted in many more shinobi, leaving only his third. "Sakura."

Tsunade rested one hand on her desk, as if fighting against a large weight. "You always were a bright man." She sighed. "Have a seat." He picked his way gingerly through the sake bottles towards the offered seat in front of Tsunade. She picked up a new bottle of sake and two bowls, pouring him one first. "Please, drink." Kakashi thanked her, taking a small sip.

"Haruno Sakura was sent on a mission to a small village about two weeks ago to assist with a spill. Her skills in medicine made her ideal for this job. " She drank straight from the bottle. "Today her teammates arrived. Sakura completed the mission at the cost of her own life. I don't have the specifics yet." The bottle, now empty, was set messily down on the table with a force that caused it to shake.

"Her family is away. I don't know when they'll be back. You're the second closest thing to a family to her. Will you arrange the memorial service? You know I can't show preference even towards my own student. " Her face tightened unhappily - he could tell she would have arranged it herself gladly, if not for those guidelines. "Yes, Tsunade-sama. " He stood up to leave, but she stopped him with a hand. "Stay here. The Rookie 9 will be here shortly." Kakashi acquiesced, standing up and moving to her left side to wait. She pulled out three scrolls, an inkwell and a brush, and proceeded to write up missions for the soon-to-arrive ninja.

* * *

He had always intended to die first- or at least before his genin team. It felt almost like he was living on borrowed time, anyway, and that at any moment death would come to collect him. Rather than creating anxiety, this thought brought him peace. It was almost a selfish thought- if he died first, he wouldn't have to watch as they died one by one.

Now one more name would be carved onto the Memorial Stone. One more name to pray for, one on the list of many he carried around at all hours. The name of who was once his weakest student, one he had honestly expected to leave the ninja life for good.

She had never seemed the most promising- who would, on a team with powerhouses like Sasuke and Naruto? He wondered what would have changed if he had been a bit more involved in Sakura's training. Would she have taken the same road, eventually studying under Tsunade, or would his tutelage lead to swift promotions through the ranks? Would she have shoved her infatuation to the background and truly committed to the life she chose? Could those extra days training have made her faster, stronger, able to evade death? Would he feel as guilty with her death if he had tried just a little more?

He couldn't answer all of the questions posed to himself- to do so would require more time than he had, and certainly more brainpower. The emotional reaction was one he could determine easily. The guilt would have remained- possibly even multiplied- if she had died despite increased attention. That was simply the sort of man he was.

He shifted, looking over as Tsunade broke the silence abruptly. "It's hard to imagine, huh? Logically, this is the most dangerous job in the villages. Every mission survived is a cause for celebration." She shook an empty bottle of sake, as if debating expending the effort to get the last drops.

"Even then, a death so young feels wrong. It wasn't a particularly dangerous mission, either. Sure, it had the potential to be one, but simple containment and medical assistance was well within Sakura's skills. She should have escaped this with absolutely no problem. "

Tsunade tossed the bottle somewhere in her office, and looked up at him tiredly. "If skill were the only factor, she would be back here, celebrating with her friends. Sadly, it wasn't, and fate decided to take her pound of flesh early."

Kakashi nodded. Words stuck in his throat, refusing to be released. He could have offered condolences, but what could have been enough? He couldn't offer wisdom, as she had even more experience than he did in this realm. Nothing he could say would ring true, or sound like anything more than empty platitudes, so he simply remained silent, leaning his head against the office wall as she continued to speak. The most he could offer was an open ear to not the Hokage, but Tsunade, his fellow in mourning.

He was pulled back from his musing as she abruptly stopped speaking, two sharp knocks on the door announcing the arrival of Sakura's comrades. Any sort of camaraderie died in the air as they both pulled the veneer of formality over their grief. She indicated for the nameless ANBU to open the door, and stole a deep breath in preparation for what was to follow.

* * *

The Rookie 9 arrived to the strong smell of sake. Lee glanced around at his peers, noting their expressions. Everyone seemed confused and wary- even Neji, under the disgust his pale face wore. The doors opened inwards and Tsunade beckoned them inside, watching as they lined up in front of the desk.

"Now. Since we're all here.." She began, removing the alcohol from her blood with a quick medical jutsu. "..This is not a typical format for such an announcement, however, I felt as if I should notify you directly instead of allowing you to hear it second hand." Idly Tsunade examined their faces- Lee's was unsurprisingly the most readable, concern evident in the set of his ample brows. Ino's was second, though she tried to hide it- she was like Sakura in that respect, always trying to reign in the constant emotions she faced daily.

"Your classmate, chunin Haruno Sakura, was killed in action during a mission in a remote country."

She paused for a minute, allowing the news to sink in.

Her eyes scanned the small group. Unsurprisingly, Lee and Ino had the most reaction to the news- Lee was still dumbstruck, his eyes wide with disbelief and mouth in a tight frown. She knew the waterworks were on their way, and inwardly thanked Tenten when she wrapped her teammate in a hug. Though not a sound had been made, she noted the tears gathering at the corner of Ino's eyes.

Ino's reaction had been much more dramatic- she clung to both of her teammates, bawling into a vaguely concerned looking Shikamaru's shoulder. Chouji patted her back, wiping sympathy tears away with the back of his free hand. It was a testament to the closeness the Ino-Shika-Cho families shared, partnership not limited to the shinobi world.

Hinata had teared up, hiding her face behind the sleeves of her characteristic hoodie. She had been talking to Sakura, cultivating a friendship based on admiration and respect. Hinata worked under Sakura at the hospital, utilizing her Byakugan to assist in difficult surgeries and procedures involving the chakra pathways. Sakura had been slowly pulling her out of her shell, teaching her the ways of a medic-nin and building confidence in her abilities.

Tsunade mused quietly, biting her bottom lip. The heiress had a soft heart, which would undoubtedly be affected by this sudden death. Something would have to be done to prevent her from spiralling downwards- for now, it would be a stop gap method. An assignment that would utilize her Byakugan and natural diplomacy skills would do; emotionally, Tsunade couldn't predict how she would react, but she was certain her teammates would help her through.

The group in front of her had dissolved into restlessness in her silence, murmurs of encouragement mingling with muffled sobs. She cleared her throat gently to get their attention, watching as they returned to formality with only red-ringed eyes to remind them this was not a normal visit.

"Hatake-san will be arranging the memorial. You are encouraged to assist in any way possible, as I have no doubt she would have done the same for you. Hinata, Shino,Kiba, you will be sent to inform her family- currently they are trading in Waterfall. "

Kiba stepped up to receive the scroll, breaking the seal only once he was back with his teammates. After all three had read it, he handed it to Shino, who stowed it safely inside a scroll pouch.

"Ino, Shikamaru, Chouji, you will assist Hatake-san with the memorial directly. Consult with him, as he is your team leader."  
Shikamaru and Chouji indicated their understanding, a tightly stanced Ino following suit. He would be in possession of the scroll, so they would have to wait for dismissal to learn more.

"Lee, Neji, Tenten. I'm sending you to find Naruto and Jiraiya and deliver the news to them. " This was probably the most risky mission, being that Naruto was easily one of the most emotional, unpredictable and powerful ninja she had encountered. She had no doubt that these three, along with Jiraiya, could prevent any deadly outbursts-or at least minimize the damage.

Neji accepted the mission for his squad, unrolling the sealed parchment mechanically. After a cursory once-over he pocketed it, turning his attention back to the Hokage.

"If everyone understands their mission, you are dismissed. These missions are to begin immediately- gather only what you need, and head out as soon as possible. " She stood, indicating to the door with a wave of her hand. They began to file out, the Ino-Shika-Cho trio at the back, followed by Kakashi.

As soon as they were all gone she sighed, rubbing her face and looking out the small window. The sun was beginning to set, and her bed was waiting. Tsunade stood and stretched, grimacing at the mess her office was. She'd have to convince Shizune to clean it, or just pick it all up herself. _Either way it can wait,_ she mused, opening the secret door to her sleeping quarters.

 _The office will still be here tomorrow._

* * *

Hey everyone, sorry about the tease in putting it up and taking it back down! I decided to add stuff. Hopefully it's stuff that's ok.

I also apologize for the delay. There's been a lot of stuff happening on the ol homestead. Hopefully I'll be able to be more consistent. (I probably won't but we can hope.)

Sakura chapter coming up in chapter 2.


	3. Survival

The sun rose, and Sakura rose with it. She hadn't slept- not truly, deeply as she should have, for what she had just gone through. Logically, with the chakra depletion she should have experienced, she should have been out for days, or even weeks. She wiggled out of her temporary hideaway carefully- moving was agonizing, a burning like she had pushed herself too far, reminiscent of the aftermath of training with Tsunade.

Her chakra coils burned with the pulse of her blood, each heartbeat agonizing. It felt like the seal did after depleting all the stored chakra, attempting to pull from her cells to keep itself on.

A hand motion should have stopped the seal- it had done so many times before. This time, however, the pulse of chakra intended to close it was simply sucked in and consequently recycled into her body. She frowned, and attempted to close it once more, with the same result. Nothing like this had ever happened before- closing the seal off had always been easier than opening it in the first place. Since she wasn't capable of dealing with it, and besides the pain there was no detriment so far, she decided to place it lower on the priority list.

Her physical health was something she sorely needed to check on- the searing pain was in no way normal. She sent out a pulse of chakra- chakra that logically shouldn't be there, chakra that seemed to come from nowhere, from her own cells, but that would kill her, wouldn't it?- to examine for any sort of lacerations or open injuries. There were none.

Sakura wasn't dumb. She knew she had fallen into something corrosive, something that should have killed her. It had eaten away at her skin, down to her bones, yet here she was, whole and relatively well. Combined with the fact her Byakugou would not turn off and the constant pain, it was obvious something terrible had happened. A closer examination- to the cellular level, mainly used to detect any latent infections or poisons- revealed intense cellular activity. Her cells were cycling at an intense rate, which explained where all the chakra was coming from- excess from the cell's regular processes.

With shaking hands, she felt at the skin of her face. It moved and twisted beneath her fingertips and she withdrew as if burnt, a shocked scream frightening away a nearby flock of birds.

To prevent hyperventilation Sakura took a few deep breaths. She was, currently, a medical impossibility, but she was an alive one, for the time being. In order to truly know what was happening to her and how to fix it she needed to remain calm- panicking would help no one, especially not her. As she was so apt at doing, Sakura shoved her feelings down, down to the farthest recesses of her psyche, far past her Inner, to the place where all her feelings of anxiety were kept. At this point, it was only a stop-gap measure, but it would have to do.

First. First she needed clothing. Her best bet, she thought, would be ground zero- there were anti contamination suits, at the very least. She might even be able to find one of her outfits, if she were particularly lucky. It wasn't that far a trek- just over the hill.

As she walked, she thought. How did this happen? She had a theory. Nothing concrete, for the time being- she needed to see it on paper before she could truly formulate anything- but a theory nonetheless. The Byakugou must have activated as the acid consumed her. It was the only thing that made sense- the only thing she had in her repertoire that could possibly have led to her current predicament. She certainly didn't have a tailed beast like her ex-teammate, or any latent genetic abilities.

Her musings were placed on hold as she stumbled back into the camp site. It was an absolute mess- anything vital had been taken in a hurry, leaving medical instruments strewn all over the place. She sniffed the air- the smell of death wasn't present, at least not yet. No animals were scavenging. So far, evidence showed no one had been injured but her.

Stepping over what were probably vital documents- were they vital anymore, since the mission was failed, she wondered- she headed towards the lockers. All were open, their contents scattered every which way. Her locker revealed no spare outfits, but searching her teammate's did. She dressed in clothes much too big for her- a simple grey top and pants that dragged on the floor. To eliminate the tripping hazard, she took a pair of medical scissors to them- not made for cutting fabric, but effective nonetheless. It certainly wasn't fashionable, but it would do.

Now with access to clothes, food, and a shelter that wasn't just dirt, she could plan. Obviously her first plan was to get back to Konoha- a formidable trek, considering. No papers, no identification, in foreign territory- she'd need to be careful. If she were caught, she could be considered a missing-nin and eliminated. Claiming she was Sakura Haruno- even though it was actually true, in her case- would get her laughed at, and then eliminated.

It suddenly hit her- she was hungry. No, she was starved. The way she felt after healing her entire squad on a few soldier pills, the desperate need for food, cramping and clenching as her stomach searched for something to eat. Thankfully, there were rations- or at least she hoped there would be. They probably had left some behind, if only accidentally. Searching the cabinets and lockers- some of which she had to pry open with her bare hands- revealed a meager meal of pre cooked rice, some bagged jerky, and a protein bar half eaten and shoved away as if no one would find it. It was probably Shinji's.

She didn't even bother reheating the rice- she had nothing to reheat it on expect non-sterile medical equipment and she wasn't that desperate for relative luxury, instead ripping open the bag and pouring the gloopy mess directly into her mouth. Her mother would be disgusted, she mused, chewing and swallowing. Naruto would be proud, though.

The protein she left for later, even though her stomach rumbled angrily. She'd have to ration until she was able to hunt- generally, prey animals roamed at dusk, so she had some time left, which she would probably use for maintenance and supply gathering.

With her mind set on that new goal, less dulled by the constant pangs of hunger, she began collecting anything sharp. Scalpels, syringes, scissors were all piled onto a surgeon's tray rather haphazardly. If she were to stay here, she'd need to make the place safer. That triggered a thought. Would she stay here? What if someone came back? She didn't know how her condition affected her ability to fight- if a large group of raiders were to come, would she be able to handle them? Her thoughts tended towards the conservative in this matter. She'd stay for one night, gathering anything she possibly could, then return to Konoha. Eventually the mission would resume, with new parameters. For the time being, the corrosive acid was contained, and her worry was survival, not continuation of the mission.

With all her sharps accounted for, Sakura found one of the few sealing scrolls left behind. It was filled with relatively useless empty saline drip bags and tubings. They were unceremoniously dumped onto an examination table, traded for the sharps she had gathered. Rolls of bandages, a thermometer, and some cloth along with whatever might be usable joined them, and the scroll resealed. The medical tent looked almost barren, now- she wistfully thought about dismantling the entire tent, but decided against it. It would be far too visible in the wilderness, and unwieldy.

Gathering, cleaning and exploring had passed the time rather effectively- with all the tents explored, and most of the salvageable bits collected, dusk was coming. With no trapping materials, she'd have to ambush any unlucky prey, so she headed out of the tent, scroll in hand, towards the forest nearby.

* * *

Author's note: so sorry for the long wait! I just graduated, and thought I would have time. I was wrong. Anyway.

I hope this is enough to tide you over. It was unbetad, and will probably be changed later. I just needed to get this out on something concrete.

Thank you so much for all the positivity! It's so weird that I'm writing something people enjoy. I hope y'all enjoy!


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